Chapter Text
It has been quite a few years since that trip to the Theme park. Octavia is now fourteen years old and quite the independent girl, and into her own things, much to her father’s fond annoyance. Over the years, Charlie has grown increasingly frustrated over the yearly exterminations that Heaven sends down to ‘help with overpopulation’ . And she has since been brainstorming an alternative to the exterminations, with her Husbands help. And Stolas over the years, when not helping his Wife with brainstorming or something, had taken to his responsibilities with his Grimoire. Occasionally having outings to the mortal realm with his Family.
These outings range from looking out at the stars in the countryside, to exploring a city in the mortal realm. They are far and few in between, but what trips they do go on they cherish with all their hearts. Charlie’s favorite trip was when they were in Paris, and she and her Husband enjoyed a night under the stars in the city of love.
Another thing that has happened with our arranged duo, is that they’ve realized that they both discovered their sexualities. Charlie leaning towards Bisexual, the same with Stolas though he was leaning toward men. They had fostered a deep connection with each other over the centuries, to the point where they could say they genuinely loved each other. So it shocked them that when they both came to each other to confess this issue, they discovered they had the same issue. Neither party wanted to hurt the other with this revelation, so they came up with a compromise of sorts. Or an experiment if you will. That they’d open their marriage to include one partner for each of them, and if either felt like they were hurting the other, then they would stop.
Octavia had caught word of this arrangement due to the servant gossip mill, and the parents had to reassure her that they still loved each other. And that they were trying something new. Octavia’s fear of being left alone was still prominent even in her teen years, as she thought her parents were going to divorce and that she’d have to choose between her parents. To say that she was relieved was an understatement, even if she was weirded out by the prospect of her parents dating people other than whom they were married to. Needless to say, both Charlie and Stolas talked with the servants about spreading rumors.
We now look into the lives of our arranged lovers, and what exploits await them now.
—----------------------------------------------
We find Charlie sitting in the Palace Dining room, going over a book, whose cover says ‘The Story of Hell’ . She sighs as she closes the book, and lets the silence of the room she’s in fill her with a sense of calm. Her eyes closed as she takes in a breath, and lets in the silence of the moment.
Until eventually a door opened, and two figures walked in, revealing themselves to be Stolas and Octavia. The Father and Daughter would walk into the dining room, and move to sit down in chairs on either side of Charlie. Stolas would gently grab Charlie’s hand, as Octavia would quietly get her Mother’s attention. “Mom…are you okay?” That would cause Charlie to open her eyes as she looked between her Husband and her Daughter. She would give a small, but sad smile. “Of course, I’m okay Baby Bird, I just…you know how I get after an extermination,” Charlie says looking out the dining room window and seeing the carnage happening in the city below. “Just…those are our people. Human Souls, just the same as the ones in Heaven. It just seems so heartless.”
Stolas grips Charlie’s hand a little tighter. “I know dearest, but I genuinely don’t know what we could do that could be an alternative.” Stolas says with a sad expression on his face. “I mean…It’s not like you can rehab Sinners to get into Heaven can you?” Octavia says offhandedly, to which Charlie gains a thoughtful expression on her face. Before a wide smile starts to form, she stands up along with Stolas as she starts to squeal in excitement. “That’s it! We’ll rehabilitate Sinners! If we can show Heaven redemption is possible, then there will be no need for the Exterminations!” Charlie says as she lets go of Stolas’s hands, and launches herself at her daughter, giving her a tight hug.
“Oh Octavia, Honey, that’s a wonderful idea! We’ll rehabilitate and redeem Sinners.” Charlie says with glee as she hugs her daughter tightly, Octavia will return the hug for a moment. “Mom, too tight!” She pleads, snapping Charlie out of it for a second as she lets go of her daughter. Apologizing as she does so. “That sounds like a wonderful prospect, but I don’t think a rehab center sounds all that appealing. Why not make it something more fun? Like a Hotel?” Stolas will say offering his suggestion, and Charlie will beam at the idea.
“That’s perfect! And I think I have just the place to get started, I’ll have to talk with Dad and get the necessary things set up. It should take a few years to get this off the ground, but I’m confident with your support sweetie that this is going to work!” Charlie says hugging Stolas and planting a kiss on his cheek. Stolas will give a small blush and a smile at Charlie. “Of course, I'll support you dearest, I’m just curious as to how this is going to work…”
“Leave that to me!” Charlie says enthusiastically. “I’ll do the necessary research and development, along with everything else. Your support along the way will be appreciated.” She says before bringing her Husband and Daughter in for a group hug. Before letting go and heading towards the door. “I’m going to grab Razzle and Dazzle and go on a walk to think for a bit. You two want to join me?” She asks excitedly.
Stolas shakes his head. “I think I’ll do what I can here to research ways to help you, I’ll have lunch ready for when you get back, Dearest.” He says pulling out his Grimoire, and summoning various books that float before him. As she approaches Charlie, Octavia will take a step and raise her hand. “I’ll go for that walk Mom, while we’re out do you think we could go to Stylish Occult? They sell weird Taxidermy there, and I’ve wanted to go for a little while.”
“Sure thing Baby Bird! We’ll stop by there, and maybe a few other shops while we’re at it.” Charlie says with a wide smile, as she takes Octavia by the hand and both Turn to Stolas as they head out the door. “Bye, honey!/Bye Dad!” Both mother and daughter call out before the door shuts. Leaving Stolas to chuckle at their antics, and begins his research to help Charlie.
—----------------------------------------
(A couple of hours later)
Stolas was walking through the Palace, reading books on proper rehabilitation near the front door of the Palace. When the door suddenly burst open, Charlie and Octavia were carrying a new person into their arms. From the glance he was able to get, Stolas saw that it was a woman with short white hair and that she was missing an eye. As well as wearing a sort of white dress with X’s on her chest.
Gaining a worried look on his face, he placed the book he was reading on a piece of furniture and walked over to them. “What happened, I thought you and Octavia were going shopping?” Stolas asks confused at the situation. “We found someone in need of help, and I offered it to her,” Charlie says as she lays the person on the couch in their living room. “Her name is Vaggie, and she was hurt pretty badly in the last extermination.” Charlie explains to Stolas as Octavia applies bandages over Vaggie’s missing eye.
Vaggie, weakly looking over, merely says. “I’m sorry if I'm inconveniencing you guys at all…” To which both Stolas and Charlie look at her and quickly shake their heads. “No no, you’re not inconveniencing us at all,” Stolas says summoning some pillows with his Magic to set under the woman on the couch. If there was anything that set apart the Morningstar-Goetia family from other nobles, it was their care for Sinners and other hell-born. “How did you survive an Exorcist's blade? If I’m not being too forward?” Stolas will ask, to which Vaggie will look down and off to the side.
“Just lucky I guess…” The tone in which that was delivered made Stolas back off a bit, as the family finished treating her. Charlie would call Razzle and Dazzle to get their new guest some water, while Stolas had the servants prepare a room as fast as possible. All the while, Octavia kept Vaggie company while everything was being prepared.
The next few months would prove rather interesting, as the family got to know Vaggie more and more, she became a part of the family and staff in a way no one could’ve predicted. When the Family’s head of security had to step down and retire, Vaggie was brought up to replace him by Charlie’s recommendation. Vaggie tried to deny this of course, but ultimately accepted. What with her having previous combat experience and managing to snag a holy spear. Vaggie even managed to become Charlie’s advisor when it came to things about her Hotel and overall security.
Things were starting to prove to get interesting for this family. One wonders just how much more interesting it'll get.